Several updates have followed Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter in 2022 and its eventual rebranding to X. The social media platform’s new ownership has added many new features and removed a few. As a result, keeping up with the updates on Twitter can be tricky.
In addition to the platform’s name change from Twitter to X, several major updates have followed. Notably, these include changes to the verification feature and the algorithm. Read this article if you’re trying to keep up with all these updates.
What Are Twitter Updates?
Twitter updates are changes, improvements, and additional features to the social media app. While there are many questions about these updates, they include any tweaks or changes that affect user experience.
Twitter updates include the introduction of new functionalities and tools and changes to the platform’s design and layout. These updates include changes in how or where buttons appear, the platform’s colors, and the overall interface.
The updates also relate to security improvements to Twitter accounts to reduce the risks of hacks and compromise. They cover changes to the platform’s recommendation algorithm and policy changes.
Updates are important for improving Twitter’s features, security, and usability. They help the platform make improvements that allow the app to compete better in the industry.
12 Important Updates on Twitter Since the Rebranding
Twitter has continually evolved since its launch in 2004. Since then, the platform’s owners have added features and improved on the existing features. However, its 2022 takeover and eventual rebranding from Twitter to X have led to significant changes.
Here are 12 updates on the social media platform.
1. The Updated Verification Feature
A new mode of verification has replaced the traditional verification feature that offered checkmarks to renowned accounts. Initially called Twitter Blue, X Premium is a paid subscription offering users additional features.
This premium feature offers three tiers: Basic, Premium, and Premium+. The Basic plan allows post-editing, extended posts, and longer video uploads. It also supports text formatting, custom app icons, and reply prioritization.
The Premium tier offers all the Basic plan features, a checkmark, and reduced ads. This plan allows you to apply for the X ads revenue-sharing and creator subscriptions. You’ll also have access to the app’s media studio and Grok. The Premium+ feature removes all ads.
2. The Name and Logo Change
After the social media platform’s ownership change, its name and logo followed suit. While it is now X and no longer Twitter, the bird logo has also made way for the X logo. According to the company’s CEO, the old name became obsolete since it no longer covers the platform’s purpose.
She further relayed that the platform instead focuses on becoming an all-in-one application. Hence, it will no longer be a microblogging site but an everything app. According to her, these changes were imminent since you can now post hours of video and longer posts.
3. Introduction of the Ads Revenue Sharing Program
The social media platform launched its creator ads revenue-sharing program in July 2023. This feature allows verified active users to earn from the ads shown in their replies. It is part of the company’s effort to help people earn directly on the app.
However, only users who meet the eligibility criteria can benefit from this program. In this case, you must have an X Premium subscription and at least 500 followers. You must also have a minimum of five million organic impressions over the past three months.
4. Creator Subscriptions
In addition to the creator ads revenue sharing, X introduced a subscription program for creators. According to the platform, this feature helps people earn directly from their content. In this case, users will pay a monthly fee to access exclusive content.
In addition to the exclusive content, subscribers will get subscriber badges, subscriber-only spaces, and subscriber-only replies. The app allows global content creators who meet the stipulated requirements to participate. It has added this feature to the iOS and Android applications and its website.
5. A New Online Domain
Twitter now uses X.com as its official website. This new domain comes from Elon Musk’s initial ties to PayPal, originally X.com. If you enter Twitter.com in your browser, it redirects you to the new domain.
As a result, all the subdomains and webpages tied to Twitter.com have moved to X.com. Also, copied links from the mobile application contain X.com and not Twitter.com.
6. Extended Tweet Character Limits
Initially, you could only share tweets with a maximum of 280 characters. However, the recent wave of updates saw the tweet character limit soar to 4,000 for people with a Premium subscription. The app then upped this limit to 10,000 before finally reaching 25,000.
However, users without a premium subscription can only share 280 characters in their tweets. Many users have welcomed this update since it allows them to share longer posts and express themselves more effectively.
However, it has changed the app’s initial profile as a microblogging platform since people can share longer articles. Again, these features move the platform closer to its new role as an everything application.
7. Enhanced Video Sharing Features
Another new update on Twitter is its fresh video-sharing features. While the app initially focused on text-based interactions, media is becoming a big component. Users can now share hours of video content instead of the old limit of 140 seconds.
The platform has launched improved video quality and picture-in-picture playback, letting users watch videos while scrolling. The new auto-advanced mode provides an immersive watching experience. Then, users can adjust the playback speeds on their videos while watching.
8. Updated Engagement Metrics
Twitter, also called X, has updated the engagement metrics under each tweet. In the past, you could see the number of likes and retweets. However, you can now see how many impressions, bookmarks, and replies a tweet has.
The social media app has made several changes to the engagement navigation bar. For instance, you can find the quotes on a post by clicking the Repost button and choosing View Quotes. You can view the engagement metrics directly from there if you share a tweet.
9. New Blocking Feature
Previously, blocking other Twitter users meant they could no longer access your posts. Opening your profile showed a message that you’d blocked them. However, the social media platform has made significant changes to that feature.
The platform’s owner, Elon Musk, relayed that users will now see posts from people who have blocked them. Yet, they will not be able to interact with their posts. In the past, the Twitter owner has continuously argued against the block feature, insisting that it makes no sense.
10. Updates to the User Interface
Since the platform’s takeover and rebranding, its interface has undergone several changes. In addition to the changes to the color themes, other branding elements have followed suit. For instance, a plus button has replaced the tweet button for composing posts.
While the app’s feed remains the same, newer changes have followed how it prioritizes content. Overall, the app has experimented with multiple updates around displaying trending topics, news, and media.
11. The Updated Algorithm
While the Twitter or X algorithm changes frequently, it has undergone huge updates since the rebranding. Hence, creators are now scampering to understand how to succeed on the app.
While Twitter has open-sourced its recommendation algorithm, its training data is still not public. However, recent updates show that the app chooses relevant tweets for your feed based on the people you follow.
The system also considers the kind of content you interact with. In ranking the posts, the current algorithm prioritizes the content you engage with the most. Then, it filters and removes excess posts from one author to diversify the content you see.
Finally, it mixes relevant ads and sponsored posts with organic content. However, the platform’s learning model decides the order in which posts appear in your feed. It also predicts your likelihood of engaging with a post or reply.
Changes to the algorithm have also affected how Twitter extensions work. Most extensions are offline since developers must pay for different subscription tiers.
12. Community Notes
Community Notes, a rebranded feature formerly Birdwatch, allows users to add contexts and fact-checks to posts. If contributors add notes, others must rate them before they appear to the public.
After this feature’s introduction, the platform clarified that notes do not represent its viewpoint. It will only remove notes that violate guidelines or terms of service. Users who follow the app’s guidelines can contribute.
The Recent Twitter Updates on the Website
While the Twitter app on mobile devices has undergone significant updates, other versions have followed suit. For instance, there have been major Twitter updates on the website, mostly covering its outlook. These also include the placement of newer features.
The most significant update to the Twitter website is the domain change from Twitter.com to X.com. Following the change, the web app’s web pages and online resources followed the new domain.
In the same way, the app’s newer features, including the monetization features and engagement navigation bar, have gotten updates. Changes to the algorithm, the color themes, and the verification features have all occurred on the site.
These updated designs match the themes and new outlooks of the more popular versions, including the mobile application. Similarly, the side menu has followed the recent additions, including Grok, Premium, and Communities.
Clean Up Your Twitter Timeline With TweetEraser
While following up with the updates on Twitter, it is often necessary to clean your timeline. This involves removing posts that do not align with your values anymore. Since deleting posts one by one can be tasking, consider using TweetEraser, a third-party web app.
This tool allows users to filter and delete their tweets based on their preferences. You can also upload your archive to access all your Twitter data.
TweetEraser also supports automatic tasks, which let you clear posts in the background. So, why wait? Start cleaning your Twitter timeline now!
FAQ
How do I update the Twitter app?
You can update the Twitter or X app on the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store. If you’re using the app’s iOS or Android versions, visit the store, search for X, and click the update button. This action will install its latest version on your device.
How can I check for the latest updates on Twitter?
You can check for the latest Twitter updates from the app history on the App Store or the Google Play Store. The social media company keeps records of the features added to this application. Also, follow X Support with your account to keep up with the recent updates.
Is Twitter declining or growing?
Even though Twitter registered a 28% decrease in advertising revenue in 2023, the company still made five billion dollars in annual revenue.
